Holiday season diet

Here comes the holiday season.

Are you worried about your budget?

Sure. It’s always a challenge every year.

You are keeping your sanity and keeping your budget at the same time.

But there’s one thing: you must be prepared even as early as now.

And it’s the amount of food you’ll be taking.

Every year, we complain about how hard life is, yet we seem to have excess food and waste so much of it during the holidays. You might argue with me and say that some cannot afford rice, and I won’t argue with you. But I am saying to observe the amount of food you consume.

Not only is it a waste of money, but it’s also a squander on your health.

Don’t justify.

“You know I’ll just go to the gym after the holidays because I splurge on food only once a year.”

“I can’t help it. I have to attend so many Christmas parties during the season.”

You can, of course, come up with a thousand and one excuses, but it is still your health you will have to contend with.

Listen to this justification.

Somebody says the Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

So here’s the conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Comedian Bill Cosby says: “Did you ever see the customers in a health-food store? They are pale, skinny people who look half-dead. In a steak house, you see robust, ruddy people. They’re dying, of course, but they look terrific!”

I do not know who the wise guy is who wrote this one:

Here’s how you could Lie to Your Bathroom Scale

1. Weigh yourself with clothes on, after dinner and in the morning, without clothes, before breakfast, because it’s nice to see how much weight you’ve lost overnight.

2. Never weigh yourself with wet hair.

3. When weighing, remove everything, including glasses. In this case, blurred vision is an asset. Remember the earrings; these things can weigh at least a pound.

4. Use cheap scales only, never the medical kind, because they are always five pounds off to your advantage.

5. Always go to the bathroom first.

6. Stand with arms raised, making pressure on the scale lighter.

7. Don’t eat or drink in the morning until after you’ve weighed in, completely naked.

8. Weigh yourself after a haircut; this is good for at least half a pound of hair (hopefully).

9. Exhale with all your might before stepping onto the scale (air has to weigh something, right?).

10. Start with just one foot on the scale, then hold onto the towel rack before you, slowly edge your other foot on, and slowly let off the rack. Admittedly, this takes time, but it’s worth it. You will weigh at least two pounds less than if you’d stepped on normally.

Here’s a great idea. Drink lots of liquid. Water is best.

Eat in moderation. What happens with the extra food that comes during the holidays? Share. Bring joy and blessings to those who would really enjoy it.

Remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and when you do that, you’ll experience a kind of fullness that feels good not in your tummy but in your heart.

(Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.)